Agency News
Hurry! Only One Month Left for Russia Program Fee Reductions!
Significant fee reductions for the Russia program are available for families that have previously adopted from Russia through AAI or any other agency as well as families who are new to AAI’s Russia adoption program. The fee reductions only apply to families who submit applications to the corporate (Jenison) office between September 1 and October 31, 2006 for the Russia program. Call 616.667.0921 for more information.
Please note that the fee reductions do not apply to current waiting families and are not retroactive.
Hearts Toward China
Thank you
A special thanks is in order for Grant and Julie, special friends of AAI, who helped us raise a significant amount towards our Hearts Toward China project. They persuaded their church to make Hearts Toward China the special offering during Vacation Bible School Week and then Julie continued to raise money for the project on her own. Hearts Toward China holds a special place in Grant’s and Julie’s hearts since their own daughter was adopted from China. Thank you, Grant and Julie, for your giving hearts and enthusiasm for this project!
Project Update
So far, over $46,000 of our $60,000 goal has been raised towards Hearts Toward China, a humanitarian effort coordinated by Adoption Associates, Inc., along with agency friends and former clients, to bring materials, supplies, and building renovation to a remote orphanage in the Hunan Province. The China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) worked in conjunction with AAI to select the orphanage with the most need and coordinate permission and assistance from the local government’s Civil Affairs Department in Changsha, the capital city in Hunan.
The orphanage selected is Xiang Xi Autonomous Prefecture Social Welfare Institute, a combined social welfare institution that houses childless seniors, special needs children, and younger children. Two thirds of the fifty-one children there are special needs and therefore it is unlikely that they will ever leave the orphanage. The institution has been trying to improve its facility but has found it extremely difficult to receive any assistance because of its remote location and primitive economy. The Hearts Toward China volunteers will depart on October 13 and return on October 21. During their stay, they will work on building a playroom for children and painting several rooms, among other projects.
Both AAI and CCAA are very excited about this endeavor. We now welcome you to join us in this most noble venture by supporting the many projects planned for our first Hearts Toward China trip with your prayers and/or monetary donations.
Visit our Hearts Toward China web page for more information.
You’re Invited to a Special International Adoption Meeting
November is National Adoption Awareness Month and we’re hosting a special meeting to celebrate! Come join AAI staff for an international adoption information meeting on November 7 at 7pm at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids in the Gainey Conference Center. You’ll learn about the cultures of China, Russia, Guatemala, Ethiopia, and Haiti by sampling ethnic cuisine, exploring cultural artifacts, interacting with knowledgeable AAI caseworkers, and be informed about adopting from these countries in the process.
Best of all, your attendance at this meeting waives your $350 application fee.
Please RSVP to 616.667.0921.
Adopting from Haiti
Kurt Ellis, our Haiti program manager, just returned from visiting an orphanage that AAI works with in Haiti. This orphanage houses approximately eighty children between the ages of two and fifteen. Of these children, approximately half have been linked with adoptive families.
Kurt spent five full days at the orphanage playing with the children, taking pictures of them and the orphanage, and attending several meetings with Pastor Jean Fritz, the orphanage director, and Victor (called “J.B.”), an employee of AAI. Although the children generally speak Creole, Kurt was able to communicate with many children who have become proficient in English through their schooling at the orphanage. This helped him to play clapping games with the girls and marbles with the boys.
Life at the orphanage isn’t always just fun and games, though. Many of the older children are assigned responsibilities like cleaning the orphanage and doing laundry, which makes the institution function much like a big family.
Kurt plans to return to Haiti in the near future. Currently, there are three families waiting to adopt from Haiti.
Do you have room in your heart and home for one of these beautiful children? Please visit the Haiti Waiting Children page of our web site to see the new pictures. There are also many sibling groups who need forever families. If you have been considering adoption, now is a great time to begin the process.
Sesame Street Debuts Special Series on Joys of Adoption
Get your VCRs ready! This season, Sesame Street is debuting young Guatemalan twin actors for a special series that addresses the joys of adoption.
Episode numbers are: 4130, 4131, 4132, 4133, and 4134.
Proposed dates are:
2006
November 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th
November 15th and 16th
November 23rd and 24th
December 13th, 25th and 28th
2007
Feb. 23rd
March 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd
May 11th and 15th
June 26th and 27th
July 2nd, 3rd and 5th
August 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th
Check with your local PBS station to verify the show times or visit http://www.GuatAdopt.com for more information.
Discover Your Grandchild’s Heritage through One of our Tours
Ship ahoy, mates! In the spring and summer of 2007, Travel Intrigue will be offering special tours for grandparents by adoption as well as for folks with an interest in adoption. Tours include a China/Yangtze river cruise (hosted by Dick Van Deelen, Founding Director of AAI) and a Russian waterway cruise (hosted by Fred Groen, Manager of International Program Development at AAI).
Please contact Travel Intrigue by phone at 616.667.1756 or by e-mail at krikke@travel-intrigue.com if you would like to learn more.
